Arkansas Responds with Win Over Vols

Box Score (PDF)

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — For the third time this year, the Arkansas men’s tennis team bounced back from a loss with a victory. This time, the Razorbacks defeated Tennessee by a score of 5-2 on Sunday afternoon to improve to 11-3 on the season and 1-1 in SEC play.

“A road win in the SEC in any sport is exciting,” head coach Andy Jackson explained. “I’m proud of our response to a very bitter defeat on Friday night indoors at Kentucky; we competed very hard again outside today.”

In doubles play, Arkansas’ No. 2 pair of Jose Salazar and Adam Sanjurjo won their second match of the weekend over the Volunteers’ Jack Heslin and Preston Touliatos. With a Tennessee win at No. 3 doubles, it came down to the top spot.

The Razorbacks’ No. 49 pair of Giammarco Micolani and Mike Redlicki defeated Tennessee’s No. 42 duo of Jack Schipanski and Luis Valero by a score of 7-5 at the top spot. Just as Salazar and Sanjurjo did on Friday at No. 22 Kentucky, Micolani and Redlicki escaped a 5-4 deficit to come back and win the match 7-5.

Redlicki continued his hot streak in singles, defeating the Volunteers’ No. 125 Valero 6-1, 6-2 at the top spot for his fifth-consecutive win. Still that wasn’t Arkansas’ first singles victory of the day, as William Albanese finished off Heslin at No. 6 by that same score.

Coupled with the opening doubles point going the way of the Razorbacks, the visitors took a quick, 3-0 lead at Barksdale Stadium. Then, it was Santiago Munoz’s turn to make an impact. The senior came through with a clutch victory at the No. 3 spot over Tennessee’s Schipanski to give Arkansas the all-important fourth point.

As play continued, the Vols (6-6 overall, 0-2 SEC) clinched two singles matches of their own to bring the score within 4-2.

But Salazar ended the run at No. 2 singles, claiming the only three-set match of the day over Timo Stodder by a score of 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. Salazar came back to win the final two sets after dropping the first; he has won six of his last seven matches.

QUICK HITS
Redlicki is now 4-1 against ranked opponents after defeating Tennessee’s No. 125 Valero on Sunday afternoon and Kentucky’s No. 31 William Bushamuka on Friday evening.
The top doubles pair of Micolani and Redlicki has won three-consecutive matches against ranked opponents and stand at 6-3 overall this season.
The Razorbacks improved to 7-1 in dual matches this season when winning the doubles point.
Redlicki in singles and the Salazar-Sanjurjo pair in doubles escaped the first weekend in SEC play with an undefeated, 2-0 conference record.

UP NEXT
Arkansas returns to Billingsley Tennis Center for two home matches next weekend. The team will face No. 8 Texas A&M on Friday, March 11 at 3 p.m. and LSU on Sunday, March 13 at 1 p.m.

TODAY’S RESULTS

DOUBLES
1. #49 Giammarco Micolani/Mike Redlicki (AR) def. #42 Jack Schipanski/Luis Valero (UT) 7-5
2. Jose Salazar/Adam Sanjurjo (AR) def. Jack Heslin/Preston Touliatos (UT) 6-4
3. Srdjan Jakovljevic/Timo Stodder (UT) def. Santiago Munoz/Johan den Toom (AR) 6-3

SINGLES
1. #82 Mike Redlicki (AR) def. #125 Luis Valero (UT) 6-1, 6-2
2. Jose Salazar (AR) def. Timo Stodder (UT) 4-6, 6-4, 6-2
3. Santiago Munoz (AR) def. Jack Schipanski (UT) 6-3, 7-5
4. Srdjan Jakovljevic (UT) def. Giammarco Micolani (AR) 6-3, 7-6 (7-4)
5. Preston Touliatos (UT) def. Adam Sanjurjo (AR) 6-4, 7-5
6. William Albanese (AR) def. Jack Heslin (UT) 6-1, 6-2

ORDER OF FINISH
Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (6,1,3,5,4,2)